Life-preserving suit



Jan. 26 1926. 1,570,636

A. MEILLAND LIFE PRESERVING SUIT Filed Oct. 13, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 1A7156? Mei/lane INVENTOI ATTORNEY Ian. 26 1926.

A. 'MEILLAND.

LIFE PRESERVING SUIT Filed Oct. 13, 1924 ,4 Sheets-Sheet g AT ORN EYWITNESS:

Jan; 26 1926.

1,570,636 A. MEILLAND 7 LIFE PRESERVING SUIT Filed Oct. 15. 1924 4Sheets-Sheet .5

a I I.

ATTORNEY Jan. 26 1926. 1,570,636

A. MEILLAND LIFE PRESERVING SUIT Filed Oct. 13. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INENTOR BY may! wwnzWM I ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 26, 1926.

UNITED stars ANDREW MEILLANI), OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

LIFE-'PRESERVING surr.

Application filed October 13, 1924. Serial No. 743,408.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW MEHLLAND, a citizen of the Republic ofSwitzerland, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of NewYork, have invented'new and useful Improvements in Life-PreservingSuits, of which the following is a specification.

The general object of my invention is the provision of a bathing suitwhich under normal conditions presents the usual appearance of a bathingsuit, but which in the event of an emergency maybe inflated so asto'adequately support the wearer of the suit in the water.

Another object of the invention is the provision of important means foreffecting inflation of the bathing suit when it-is desired to impart abuoyant quality thereto.

Other objects and practical advantages of the invention will be fullyunderstood from the following description and claims when the same areread in connection with the drawings forming part of this applica tion,in which:

Figure 1 is "a view showing my embodiment in use and also showing themanner in which the wearer-of the suit inflates the same. 7

Figures 2 and 3 are views showing different positions in which theexpansible fluid pressure container may be arranged in the bathing suit.

Figure l is an enlarged vertical section showing the fluid pressurecontainer deflated.

Figure 5 is a similar View showing said container inflated.

Figure 6 is an enlarged; detail section showing the reservoir tank forthe fluid under pressure and the valved conduit means in connectiontherewith. v

Figure 7 is an edge elevation of "said reservoir tank taken at rightangles to Figure 6. I

Figures 8 and 9 are enlarged detail sections illustrative of the valveshereinafter referred to.

Figures 10 and 11 are views showing modified means for inflating theeXpansible container.

Referring by numerals to Figures 1, 4. and 5, 1 designates a bathingsuit which may be and preferably is of the well known construction savein the respects hereinafter noted, therefore of the same generalappearance asan'ordina'ry bathing suit.

In the embodiment shown in Figures '1, 4 and 5, the bathing suit isprovided about the waist with apocket 2 formed by inner and outer layers3 and 4 of the same'ma-terial as the remainder of the bathing suit.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the

pocket 2? similar'to the pocket 2 is shown as located above thehip'portion of the bathing suit, while in Figure 3, a pocket 2" similarto the pocket 2 is arranged about the torso portion of the bathing suit,i. e. from about'the height-ofthe arm holes "5 to a point above thehips.

Irrespective of the location of the said body encircling pocket of thebathing'suit, the pocket encloses 'two subcomp'artments 6 and 7 equippedwith closure flaps 8 designed to be detachably secured in closedposition by male and female fasteners 9 or other appropriate means.

In the'body encircling pocket of the suit is arranged an inflatablecontainer .10 of rubber or other appropriate material, the saidcontainer lObeing provided at 1'1,'Figure 4, with a comparatively thinwall portion to facilitate its inflation. "When deflated, the container10 appears-as shown in Figure 4 and consequently it will notin anymaterial degree change the appearance of the bathing suit, When however,the container 10 is supplied with fluid under pressure and the-saidfluid pressure is retained inthe container 10, the container 10 will bemaintained in the distended state shown in Figure 5 and hence will forman efficient life belt possessed of suflicient buoyancy to support thebody of a person in the water.

My invention contemplates the wearing of the bathing suit under normalconditions in or out of the'water when the container 10 is in the stateshown in Figure4, and it will be appreciated that when the bathing suitis so worn it may be used in lieu "of underwear. 7

When 'it is desired to impart a lifesaving quality to the bathing suit,the same is accomplished by supplying fluid under pressure to thecontainer 10 and inflating the said container to the extent, desired ornecessary. The expansion of the container 10 may be effected through themedium of a tube 12 orthrough the mediilin of a tube 13 in connec ionwith a rese Wi tan he 4 tube 12 is connected at one end to a nipple 15in connection with the interior of the container 10 and provided with anoutwardly seated non-return valve 16. Said tube 12 is also providedwit-h a mouth piece 17 on which are hinged valve members 18 having arms19 with indentures 20 designed to receive the teeth of the wearer of thesuit. The purpose of the construction just described will be understoodwhen it is stated that when the wearer of the suit desires to inflatethe container 10, it is simply neces sary for the wearer to open thesubcompart ment 6 and remove the tube. 1.2 therefrom and place the mouthpiece 17 in his mouth with the teeth operating against the valve members18 to open the said valve men'ibers. Then by blowing through the tube 12the wearer is enabled to expand the container 10 until it is possessedof suflicient buoyancy to support the body of the wearer in the water.lVith this done, the mouth piece 17 is removed from the mouth when themembers 18 will automatically close, the outer end of the tube 12 so asto exclude water from the interior thereof. The tube 12 is then replacedin its sub-compartment 6 and the said compartment is closed andfastened.

Removably arranged in the sub-compartment 7 of the suit is a reservoir14 which is preferably of steel and is preferably shaped as shown inFigures 6 and 7, and is designed to contain any appropriate fluid underhigh pressure. The said tank 14 is connected by a flexible tube 13 withthe interior of the container 10. It will also be noted that the tank 11- is provided with an exterior groove 31. This groove 31 is designedwhen. the tank 14 is not in use to receive a bail 32 which is designedand adapted to be snapped into and out of engagement with the roove. Thetank 14 also is equipped with a peculiar and advantageous valve which isclearly illustrated in Figure 6. By referring to said figure the valveconstruction will be understood as comprising an annulus 10appropriately fixed in the inner portion of the wall of the tank 30. Onsaid annulus 10 is a cage 11 having an annular end 41* for cooperatingwith a headed valve 42 having a stem 48. The said valve also comprises arectilinearly movable portion having a tube 4.1 for connection with thetube 13 and also having an enlarged outer portion 45 in which the endsof the bail 32 are journaled as designated by 46. lVhen the bail 32 isin the position shown by full lines in Figure 6, the head of the valve4-2 will be held by the pressure in the tank 80 against the inner end ofthe tube 4.4:, and hence fluid under pressure will be effectivelyprevented from escaping from the tank 1 1, and it will be understood inthis connection that a gasket 17 is employed between the annulus 10 andthe enlarged portion 45 of the rectilinearly movable element. lVhen,however, the bail 32 is snapped off the tank 1 1 it will be understoodthat the rectilinearly movable portion of the valve is free to moveoutwardly, and will so move. hen this takes place, the tube 1-1 movingwith the said element will enable the head of the valve 5-2 to bring upagainst inward projections 12* on the .cage 41, and hence the valve 42will be opened and fluid under pressure will be permitted to pass fromthe interior of the tank 14 through the tube 44 and 13 to the container10 for the inflation of the latter. After the inflation of the container10 by pressure from the tank 14, the bail 32 is restored to the positionshown in Figure 7, when the tank 1 1 is replaced in the sub-{compartment7 of the suit.

In order to preclude blowing off of the valve from the tank 30 the valveis preferably connected to the tank 14; by an anchor 13* as shown inFigure 7.

lvianifestly when it is necessary to quickly inflate the container 10 itpreferable to use for the purpose the pressure contained in thereservoir tank designed by 14 in F igure 5 and by 14L in Figures 6 and7.

In Figures 10 and 1.1, I illustrate a modified tank 14L which may beemployed when expanded in lieu of the tank 14 The said tank 14* isprovided with a filling opening 50 normally closed by a plug 51 and itis also provided with an interior closure portion 52 surrounded by anannular recess 53 the outer wall of which is interiorly threaded asdesignated by 54. Opposite the said Closure portion 52 the tank 14. isprovided with a re enforced opening 5st threaded at 55. Movable throughthe opening 5 1 from the position shown in Figure 10 to that shown inFigure 11 and vice versa is a tube 56 that open at its inner end andisprovided adjacent to said end with an exterior thread 57. hen saidthread 57 engages the thread 54: the inner end of the tube willmanifestly be hermetically sealed by the closure portion 52 of the tank,and when the tube 56 is moved away from the said closure portion 52substance in the tube 56 is permitted to commingle with a solution orother substance in the tank 1 1 so as to give rise to the generation ofinflating gas. The outer end of the tube 56 may within the purview of myinvention be connected to the tube 13 in any approved manner so as tolead the inflating gas into the expansible container 10. I prefer,however, to connect the tube 13 to a nipple 60 that is slidably arrangedin a cap 61 and a plug 62, the said plug 62 being hollow and providedwith an aperture 63 for the passage of inflating gas, and the nipple 60being provided at its inner end with a valve 61 which in the positionshown in Figure 10 will etfectively prevent escape of gas from the tube.56 to the nipple .601. When,

however, the nipple 60 is moved rectilinearly to the position shown inFigure 11 the aperture 63 will be uncovered and gas may then pass fromthe interior of the tank 14* through the tube 56, the aperture 68, thenipple 60 and the tube 13 to the expansible container 10. The hollowplug 62 is preferably connected in detachable manner by an appropriatethread to the tube 56. It will also be noted that the cap 61 isdetachably connected by set screws 65 to the tube 56 so that after thecap 61 is removed from the tube 56 and the plug 62 is displaced, thetube 56 may be charged with the substance that it is desired to employ.It will be readily understood that a slight outward pull on the nipple60 is all that is necessary to unseat the valve 6-1 and uncover theaperture 63 for the purpose indicated. I would also have it understoodthat when the tube 56 is moved to the position shown in Figure 11 it maybe detacha-bly secured in said position by turning the thread 57 intoengagement with the thread 55. The substance placed in the tube 56 ispreferably in the form of sticks and is isolated from the solution inthe tank 14c so long as the tube 56 occupies the position shown inFigure 10.

To refill the tank 56 is first restored to the position shown in Figure10 after which the tank 1 L is charged through the opening 50, and thetube 56 is charged through the open outer end thereof after which theplug 62 and the cap 61 are replaced and secured in position.

It will be understood that in addition to the practical advantagesascribed to my improvement, all embodiments of my invention are simpleand inexpensive in construction and are free of delicate parts such asare likely to get out of order after a short period of use.

Like the tank 14, the tank 14* when not in use is designed to be carriedwithin the pocket 7 or sub-compartment 7 of the suit.

I have specifically described the preferred embodiments of my invention,in order to impart an exact understanding of said embodiments. I do notdesire, however, to be understood as confining myself to the specificdisclosure herein, my invention being defined by my appended claimswithin the scope of which changes may be made without affecting myinvention.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters-Patent,

1. In life preserving means, an inflatable container, a tank, atubedetachably secured in the tank with its interior normally isolated fromthe interior of the tank, and movable relative to the tank to establishcommunication between the interiors of tank and tube, a closure at theouter end of the tube including a rectilinearly-movable nipple and avalve carried by the nipple and adapted to control the escape of gasfrom the tube, and a tube connecting said nipple and the interior of theinflatable container.

2. In life preserving means, an inflatable container, a tank, a tubedetachably secured in the tank with its interior normally isolated fromthe interior of the tank, and movable relative to the tank to establishcommunication between the interiors of tank and tube, a closure at theouter end of the tube including a rectilinearly-movable nipple and avalve carried by the nipple and adapted to control the escape of gasfrom the tube, and a tube connecting said nipple and the interior of theinflatable container; the said closure also including a plug and a capdetachably connected to the outer end of the tube.

I11 testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ANDREIV MEILLAND.

